This story was excerpted from Juan Toribio’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Dodgers infielder Hanser Alberto has turned into the loudest and most energetic member of the team this season. But when he goes home, he enjoys just being dad to his daughters, Avril and Hanna. In a few weeks, Alberto and his wife Olga are expecting their third daughter. Ahead of this Father’s Day, Alberto shares how his daughters have changed his perspective in life and as an athlete.
I was in Texas when my first girl was born and I had just undergone surgery on my right shoulder. I couldn’t play that year, and it was a very frustrating year, a very difficult year. But then when my first daughter was born, it all just turned into happiness. She changed my perspective completely. My thoughts changed completely. That frustration that I had of not being able to play, all of that was forgotten the moment my daughter was born. I honestly just wanted to enjoy her, and it’s been an unbelievable experience.
Becoming a father was a radical change for me. It was definitely life-changing. But it’s such a rewarding feeling to be a dad. You learn to adapt to your new lifestyle. You start to leave behind some things that you used to do because of the responsibility you now have of being a father. You learn to become a better man in all areas of your life. The best thing is being able to get home and seeing all of my daughters. This is a difficult game and a lot of things happen, but when you have kids, things are just different. They don’t understand the game, they just want to be loved and cared for.
They’re all full of energy like me. Now we’re waiting for the third daughter to be born in a few weeks, and we’re getting ready because we’re sure that she’s going to be another ball of energy.